Following the uncertainty surrounding the future of reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) in certain US states, President Joe Biden has signed an executive order to advance the study of health conditions specific to women and change the funding approach towards related research.
As per the 18 March executive order, the administration plans to tackle challenges associated with the study of women’s health through the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, which will be spearheaded by First Lady Jill Biden, PhD. The initiative will invest in innovation and mobilise leaders across industry, research, and philanthropy to “accelerate the research and treatment of conditions that impact women “uniquely, disproportionately, or differently”.
“We still know too little about how to effectively prevent, diagnose and treat a wide array of health conditions in women,” said Dr Carolyn Mazure, the head of the White House initiative on women’s health.
Alongside the Initiative, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) will create a comprehensive, evidence-based research agenda to guide federal and private sector investments in menopause-related research. Also in development is the NIH’s Pathways to Prevention series on menopause, which is designed to help women understand menopausal symptoms and guide the research field forward.
Data from GlobalData’s Trials Intelligence platform revealed that women’s infertility was one of the top ten indications being investigated in clinical trials in January 2024. GlobalData analysts say that infertility is an “unavoidable” and “pertinent” issue and predict that the infertility drug market will be worth $2.5bn in 2028 as pharma ramps up opportunity and investment in the indication.
GlobalData is the parent company of Pharmaceutical Technology.
Following the US Supreme Court decision overturning Roe versus Wade, which ended the right to abortions, state-specific bans restricting access to terminations have gone into effect in 21 states, of which 14 have implemented full bans. This has led to a surge in the percentage of out-of-state abortions obtained in states where abortion is legal.
Furthermore, the restrictions on abortion pills such as mifepristone may drive doctors and patients to off-label medications, including misoprostol. As per GlobalData analyst Wafaa Hassan, telehealth can improve equitable access to abortion, particularly in areas with limited access to clinics.
